Taking divots during a round of golf is unavoidable, but getting them to heal can be a challenge for superintendents. Divot recovery has become a big topic of conversation at many courses as the boom in play has increased the number of divots on tees and fairways. Let’s talk about some of the factors that influence recovery and how golfers can help the process.
Growth Habit
The way different grasses grow has a big impact on divot recovery. Some grasses have stems that grow horizontally – like creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass and bermudagrass – which helps divots fill in faster. Turf density above and below the ground also matters. When you take a divot in many cool-season grasses, it goes deep into the soil. Warm-season grasses like bermudagrass and zoysiagrass have a dense mat of roots and stems beneath the surface that keeps divots shallower. Combine that with the ability to grow new shoots from those subsurface stems and you can get faster healing.
Seed
In addition to healing from roots and stems, seed can also help divots recover for some grasses, but not all! Perennial ryegrass is famous for its quick germination – it can sprout from seed in less than a week during ideal conditions – making it a favorite for divot mix. Other grasses are not so quick to sprout. Creeping bentgrass germinates in around two weeks, and Kentucky bluegrass can take up to a month. If the course wants to match the seeds in the divot mix with the grass on the fairways and tees, recovery time may be limited by germination.
Warm-season grasses, on the other hand, are not typically grown from seed. They are usually established with sprigs or sod. This is why you won’t see seed in the divot mix on a course with bermudagrass or zoysiagrass tees or fairways, the sand is just there to help level the surface and provide a medium for the grass to fill in.
Temperature
Temperature matters when it comes to divot recovery. Seeds will not germinate when it’s too cold, and grass won’t fill in from stems when it’s not growing well. The growth of almost any grass slows down in winter, but many cool-season grasses also slow down during the summer. Summer is prime golf season in many cooler areas, but the grasses used for fairways and tees on these courses get stressed when it’s hot and humid. Divot recovery will often slow down right as play is peaking, which is not a great combination. This is why many courses with cool-season grasses end the summer with landing areas and tees that are chewed up with divots. These grasses need the cooler weather of late summer and early fall to really start healing.
Meanwhile, if you have warm-season grasses summer divot recovery shouldn’t be much of a problem. However, many courses with these grasses are also busy during the shoulder seasons and winter when growth slows or stops completely. In this situation, divots will keep accumulating with little or no recovery until late spring or early summer. That means divots taken in December might still be there in May!
Growing Environment and Traffic
In places where grass grows well, divots heal faster. This sounds fairly obvious, but growing environments are often an overlooked factor in divot recovery. Divots in shaded areas, wet areas, or areas with poor irrigation coverage will struggle to heal no matter what type of grass is present. Traffic also plays a role. Lots of traffic will slow down divot recovery because new stems or seedlings are repeatedly trampled. This issue is especially noticeable on small tees or other areas where traffic is concentrated.
What Can Golfers Do to Help?
The first step is asking the golf shop staff how the course wants divots repaired. Some want you to replace divots as much as possible, others prefer you use mix rather than trying to replace the turf. Some have divot mix with seed that they want used on fairways and tees but not in the rough. Once you know the policy, make sure you have divot mix with you and do your best to properly repair your divots and a few more. Try to avoid taking divots on practice swings and resist the temptation to use the course as a practice facility. You may want to drop a few extra balls to work on a tough shot, but it doesn’t take many golfers doing this to greatly increase the number of divots. Please keep your practice sessions at the practice area.
Even when golfers and the maintenance team do all they can, there are going to be times of the year when lots of play and imperfect weather keep divots around longer than anyone would like. If you have questions or concerns about divot recovery, ask the superintendent. You’ll discover that watching grass grow is more interesting than you might think!